Sealing assembly

ABSTRACT

A sealing assembly having a flexible sleeve and a means for sealing a top portion of the sleeve around a plurality of cables, such as by a hook and loop type fastener attached at the top portion of the sleeve. The sleeve is configured to receive at least one cable therethrough and a bottom portion of the sleeve is configured to be secured to a surface. The sleeve can also be electrically conductive such that the sleeve dissipates static electricity from the cable to the surface. The sealing assembly can also have a grommet positioned adjacent the bottom portion of the sleeve. The grommet has a first wall having a plurality of apertures for connecting the grommet to a surface and a second wall that extends substantially perpendicular to the first wall and is configured to extend through an aperture in the surface. The second wall is flexible to protect the cable from sharp edges associated with the aperture in the surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. Nos. 11/751,716, filed May 22, 2007, and 11/931,959,filed Oct. 31, 2007, the entire contents of both are incorporated hereinby reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to sealing assemblies and, more particularly, tosealing assemblies for use with cables/cable bundles that pass throughholes in raised floor panels of data centers.

BACKGROUND

In many instances, data centers will use raised floors that consist of aplurality of floor panels that are suspended above the subfloor of thedata center. The air handling space that is created between the subfloorand the raised floor can then be used for a variety of purposes. Forexample, the air handling space can be used to transfer cool air from acooling unit to the equipment in the data center and can also be used torun cables to and between the equipment. When cables are run in the airhandling space below the raised floor, apertures need to be cut into thefloor panels to allow the cables to pass through the raised floor to theequipment. These apertures are positioned and cut based on the equipmentlayout in the data center. However, cutting these apertures in the floorpanels allows the cool air that is being transferred to the equipment toescape through the apertures and around the cables.

Sealing these apertures in the raised floor is important because of theamount of cooling that is required for the data center equipment. In atypical data center layout, large cooling units route cold air into theair handling space below the floor and then into the equipment abovethrough specifically positioned air-handling openings. Cable openings inthe raised floor are not intended for cooling of the equipment and cansignificantly reduce the efficiency of the cooling units by allowingcool air to escape from the air handling space. The reduction in coolingefficiency is a result of the large cold air loss through cableopenings. Using some type of seal to minimize air loss through theopenings reduces the size requirement of the cooling units andsignificantly reduces the power usage, lowering operating costs.

However, standard sealing devices used in typical data centerinstallations have various drawbacks. One example of a standard sealingdevice uses bristles or foam attached to a rigid frame in an attempt tocover the apertures in the raised floor panels. While this type ofdevice may be satisfactory for a single cable that is centered in thedevice, it does not provide sufficient sealing if multiple cables orcable bundles are used or if the cable(s) are not centered in thedevice. In these instances, the bristles or foam of the device will movearound the multiple cables or be moved out of the way by off centercables and create a potentially large opening for air to escape. Inaddition, the bristles have the potential to break loose from the frameand can potentially create a hazard to the equipment in the data center.

Therefore, there is a need for a sealing assembly that minimizes airloss through apertures in raised floor panels when multiple cables/cablebundles pass through the aperture and when a cable or cables are notcentered within the aperture. It would also be beneficial to have asealing assembly that protects cable(s) passing through the aperturefrom rough cut edges of apertures and that provides electrostaticdissipation from cable(s).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one example, a sealing assembly has a flexible sleeve and a hook andloop type fastener attached to a top portion of the sleeve. The sleeveis configured to receive at least one cable therethrough and a bottomportion of the sleeve is configured to be secured to a surface.

In another example, a sealing assembly has a flexible sleeve and a meansfor sealing a top portion of the sleeve around a plurality of cables.The sleeve is configured to receive at least one cable therethrough anda bottom portion of the sleeve is configured to be secured to a surface.

In another example, a sealing assembly has a flexible sleeve that isconfigured to receive at least one cable therethrough. A top portion ofthe sleeve is configured to seal around the cable and a bottom portionof the sleeve is configured to be secured to a surface. The sleeve iselectrically conductive such that the sleeve dissipates staticelectricity from the cable to the surface.

In another example, a sealing assembly has a flexible sleeve and agrommet positioned adjacent a bottom portion of the sleeve. The sleeveis configured to receive at least one cable therethrough. A top portionof the sleeve is configured to seal around the at least one cable andthe bottom portion of the sleeve is configured to be secured to thegrommet. The grommet has a first wall having a plurality of aperturesfor connecting the grommet to a surface and a second wall that extendssubstantially perpendicular to the first wall and is configured toextend through an aperture in the surface. The second wall is flexibleto protect the cable from sharp edges associated with the aperture inthe surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Certain examples of the present invention are illustrated by theaccompanying figures. It should be understood that the figures are notnecessarily to scale and that details that are not necessary for anunderstanding of the invention or that render other details difficult toperceive may be omitted. It should be understood, of course, that theinvention is not necessarily limited to the particular examplesillustrated herein.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one example of a sealing assembly asinstalled on a partially cut away raised floor panel;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sealing assembly of FIG. 1 with thesleeve in an open position;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the sealing assembly of FIG. 1 without thecable/cable bundle;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the sealing assembly of FIG. 1 with thecable/cable bundle;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the sealing assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial view of the sealing assembly shown in thecircle of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the sealing assembly of FIG. 1 with thecable/cable bundle in a non-centered position;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the sealing assembly of FIG. 1 asinstalled without the grommet;

FIG. 12 is a top view of the sealing assembly of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 13-13 in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another example of a sealing assemblyas installed on a raised floor panel; and

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the sealing assembly of FIG. 11 with aplurality of cables spaced apart from one another and the sleeve sealedaround each of the plurality of cables.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-10, one example of a sealing assembly 10 is shownas installed around a cable 18 passing through a floor panel 12, such asthe floor panel of a raised floor in a data center. However, it will beunderstood that the various examples disclosed herein could be installedand used with any desired surface having an aperture therethrough, suchas a standard floor, a wall, a ceiling, a drop ceiling, etc. As can beseen in FIG. 1, floor panel 12 has top surface 14, which is typically anelectrically conductive material such as metal, and aperture 16, whichallows the passage of cable 18 through top surface 14 of floor panel 12.Cable 18 could be a single cable, multiple cables, a cable bundle, ormultiple cable bundles, depending on the particular installation. Inthis example, sealing assembly 10 generally has a sleeve 20, cover 50,frame 40, and grommet 60.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 7, in this example, sleeve 20is constructed of a sheet of flexible material that can be wrappedaround cable 18 during installation. This simplifies the installation ofsleeve 20 and allows for installation of sleeve 20 around existingcables that are already installed. Alternatively, sleeve 20 could be ofa generally tubular construction that requires cable 18 to be passedthrough sleeve 20 for installation. In the example shown, strips of hookand loop type fastener 38, 39, such as Velcro®, are attached to firstand second side edges 32, 34 of sleeve 20. Strips 38, 39 engage eachother to connect first and second side edges 32, 34 and position sleeve20 around cable 18. In alternate embodiments, any well known methodcould be used to connect first and second side edges 32, 34 of sleeve20, such as snaps, buttons, rivets, double sided tape, etc.

In addition to being flexible, in this example sleeve 20 is constructedof a material that is electrically conductive, such as Dura-stat 3983,so that sleeve 20 assists in the dissipation of static electricity fromcable 18, as discussed below. For example, sleeve 20 could beconstructed of a static-dissipative, vinyl-coated fabric havingconductive fibers wound therein. In order to meet specific codes, sleeve20 could also be constructed of a material that is flame retardant.

Drawstring 36 is positioned in the top portion of sleeve 20 and extendsthrough a passageway or holes formed in sleeve 20. Drawstring 36 is usedto cinch the top portion of sleeve 20 around cable 18 and any similarcinching mechanism could also be used. In installations where a singlecable is present, drawstring 36 can be used to seal the top portion ofsleeve 20 around cable 18. However, if multiple cables, a cable bundle,or multiple cable bundles pass through aperture 16, use of onlydrawstring 36 will leave air gaps between the cables/cable bundles andwill not provide a complete seal.

In order to provide a more complete seal around multiple cables, a cablebundle, or multiple cable bundles, a strip of hook and loop typefasteners 37, such as Velcro®, is attached to sleeve 20 above drawstring36 and adjacent top edge 26 of sleeve 20. Strip 37 extends acrosssubstantially the entire top edge 26 such that varying portions of thestrip 37 can be closely wrapped around individual cables and/orindividual cable bundles and engaged to seal the top portion of sleeve20 around the individual cables and/or cable bundles (see FIG. 15).

As can best be seen in FIGS. 4, 7, and 8, at the bottom portion ofsleeve 20, bottom edge 28 has protuberance 30, which allows the bottomportion of sleeve 20 to be secured to top surface 14 through frame 40and cover 50, as described below.

Referring generally to FIGS. 3, 4, and 6-8, in this example frame 40 andcover 50 are used to secure sleeve 20 to top surface 14.

In the example shown, frame 40 is generally square and is formed by wall42. Wall 42 is generally U shaped, forming channel 44, which isconfigured to receive protuberance 30 of sleeve 20 and to receive theinside wall of second wall 54 of cover 50, as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8. Asdescribed in more detail below, protuberance 30 is first positionedwithin channel 44 and then the inside wall of second wall 54 of cover 50is inserted into channel 44, trapping protuberance 30 between frame 40and cover 50. In addition, at specified intervals around frame 40, theouter wall of U shaped wall 42 has protrusions 45 (see FIG. 8) thatextend into channel 44 and engage apertures in second wall 54 of cover50 to secure cover 50 to frame 40.

In the specific example shown, frame 40 also has slit 46, as can best beseen in FIGS. 3 and 4, which simplifies the installation of frame 40 andallows for installation of frame 40 around existing cables that arealready installed. In addition, frame 40 could be made of anelectrically conductive polycarbonate, such as Stat-kon D-FR, to assistin the dissipation of static electricity from cable 18. However, ifcover 50 is constructed of an electrically conductive material, this maynot be necessary. Furthermore, to meet specific codes, frame 40 couldalso be constructed of a flame retardant material.

Similarly, in the example shown, cover 50 is also generally square, isformed by first wall 52 and second wall 54, and is configured to fitover frame 40 and bottom edge 28 at the bottom portion of sleeve 20.First wall 52 is generally planar, is configured to engage first wall 62of grommet 60, as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8. In this example, first wall 52also has apertures 56, which are used to secure cover 50 to top surface14 of floor panel 12 via screws 57, as described in more detail below.Second wall 54 extends generally perpendicular to first wall 52 and isgenerally U shaped, forming channel 55, which is configured to receivethe outer wall of U shaped wall 42 of frame 40. In addition, atspecified intervals around cover 50, second wall 54 has apertures (seeFIG. 8) that are positioned and configured to receive protrusions 45 inframe 40.

In the specific example shown, cover 50 also has slit 58, as can best beseen in FIGS. 3 and 4, which simplifies the installation of cover 50 andallows for installation of cover 50 around existing cables that arealready installed. In addition, in this example, cover 50 is constructedof an electrically conductive polycarbonate, such as Stat-kon D-FR, toassist in the dissipation of static electricity from cable 18 to topsurface 14 of floor panel 12. To secure cover 50 to top surface 14 andto complete the grounding circuit between cable 18 and top surface 14,self-tapping screws 57 are inserted through apertures 56 and threadedinto top surface 14, as seen in FIG. 8. To provide an electrical contactbetween screws 57 and cover 50, any well known method could be used. Forexample, if cover 50 is electrically conductive and does not contain anycover or coating, the contact between screws 57 and cover 50 willprovide the contact. If cover 50 is painted or otherwise covered, thearea around where screws 57 will contact cover 50 could be masked toprovide a bare surface. In addition, internal tooth lock washers couldbe placed between the heads of screws 57 and cover 50 such that theteeth will bite into the material of cover 50 or screws having teethunderneath the head could be used, such that the teeth will bite intothe material of cover 50. Furthermore, to meet specific codes, cover 50could also be constructed of a flame retardant material.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1, 3-5, and 8, in the example shown grommet60 is also generally square and is formed by first wall 62 and secondwall 66. First wall 62 is generally planar and is configured to engagefirst wall 52 of cover 50 and top surface 14 of floor panel 12. In thisexample, first wall 62 also has apertures 64, which are axially alignedwith apertures 56 in cover 50 such that they receive screws 57 duringinstallation. Second wall 66 extends generally perpendicular to firstwall 62 and is configured to extend into and through aperture 16 in topsurface 14 of floor panel 12.

In the specific example shown, grommet 60 also has slit 68, as can bestbe seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, which simplifies the installation of grommet60 and allows for the installation of grommet 60 around existing cablesthat are already installed. In addition, grommet 60 could be made of anelectrically conductive material, such as Santoprene 251-80, to assistin the dissipation of static electricity from cable 18. However, ifcover 50 is constructed of an electrically conductive material, this maynot be necessary. Furthermore, to meet specific codes, grommet 60 couldalso be constructed of a flame retardant material.

Furthermore, in the specific example shown, grommet 60 is constructed ofa flexible material, such as a rubberized thermoplastic vulcanizate, sothat second wall 66 protects cable 18. Referring specifically to FIGS. 9and 10, if cable 18 is not centered in aperture 16, it is possible forcable 18 to contact and/or rub the edge of floor panel 12 at theperimeter of aperture 16, which could be rough or sharp. This contactcould cut, fray, or otherwise damage cable 18. However, flexible secondwall 66 of grommet 60 provides protection for cable 18 from sharp edgesassociated with aperture 16 in top surface 14. As can be seen in FIG.10, if cable 18 is not centered, second wall 66 of grommet 60 will bendand conform to the natural bend of cable 18, which protects cable 18from the potentially sharp bottom edge of floor panel 12 at theperimeter of aperture 16.

Grommet 60 is most easily used in new installations where aperture 16 intop surface 14 can be cut to a predetermined size to fit grommet 60 orin existing installations where aperture 16 can be enlarged to fitgrommet 60. However, as will be seen in other installation examplesbelow, grommet 60 is optional and sealing assembly 10 could be installedand used without grommet 60.

Referring now to FIGS. 11-13, an alternate installation of exemplarysealing assembly 10 is shown. As discussed above, sealing assembly 10can be used in existing installations where apertures 16 are alreadyformed in top surface 14 of floor panel 12 and cable 18 is alreadyextending through aperture 16. In this case, if grommet 60 does not fitinto or through aperture 16, sealing assembly 10 can be installedwithout grommet 60. As can be seen in FIGS. 11-13, in this type ofinstallation sleeve 20 is still inserted into frame 40 and cover 50 isplaced over the bottom portion of sleeve 20 and frame 40. The differencein the installation shown in these figures is that frame 40 and cover 50are placed directly onto top surface 14 and secured with self-tappingscrews 57, rather than placing cover 50 onto first wall 62 of grommet60.

Referring finally to FIG. 14, another example of a sealing assembly 10′is shown. The sealing assembly 10′ is essentially the same as sealingassembly 10 shown in FIGS. 1-10 and common parts between the exemplaryassemblies are designated with the same reference numbers. The maindifference between the example shown in FIG. 14 and the example shown inFIGS. 1-10 is that in the sealing assembly 10′ shown in FIG. 14, cover50′, frame 40′ (not shown), and grommet 60′ are circular, rather thansquare. Other than the difference in shape, the construction,characteristics, installation, etc. is that same as that describedabove.

As can be seen in the various examples above, in various installationssquare sealing assemblies 10 could be used, circular sealing assemblies10′ could be used, or a combination of square and circular sealingassemblies, or other shapes, could be used. For example, in the sameinstallation square sealing assemblies 10 could be used with data cablesand circular sealing assemblies 10′ could be used with power cables orsmall data bundles. The use of both square and circular sealingassemblies provides an easy way to quickly and accurately identify thedifferent cables and avoids data signal contamination that can occurwhen data cables and power cables are run together.

As mentioned above, sealing assemblies 10, 10′ can be used to provide agrounding circuit between cable 18 and top surface 14 of floor panel 12to provide static dissipation from cable 18. As discussed above, aground path is created between cable 18 and top surface 14 through: (1)sleeve 20, which is electrically conductive and contacts cable 18 whensealed; (2) cover 50, which is electrically conductive and contactssleeve 20; and (3) self-tapping screws 57, which are electricallyconductive and contact cover 50 and are threaded into top surface 14,which in data centers is typically constructed of a conductive material,such as metal.

In new installations where apertures 16 in top surface 14 have not beenformed and installation where apertures 16 can be adapted to fit grommet60, 60′, sealing assemblies 10, 10′ shown in FIGS. 1-10 and 14 wouldtypically be used.

To install sealing assemblies 10 or 10′ in these types of installations,aperture 16 is cut into top surface 14 according to the size and shapeof grommet 60 used and grommet 60 is positioned in aperture 16. If cable18 is already extending through aperture 16, slit 68 in grommet 60 canbe used to position grommet 60 around cable 18. Frame 40 is thenpositioned on grommet 60 and bottom edge 28 of sleeve 20 is insertedinto channel 44 in frame 40 such that protuberance 30 is positionedwithin channel 44. Again, if cable 18 is already extending throughaperture 16, slit 46 in frame 40 can be used to position frame 40 aroundcable 18. Similarly, first and second side edges 32, 34 of sleeve 20 canbe separated by disengaging the hook and loop type fasteners 38, 39,sleeve 20 placed around cable 18, and fasteners 38, 39 re-engaged. Cover50 is then placed over sleeve 20 and frame 40 such that the inner wallof second wall 54 is positioned with channel 44 of frame 40, therebytrapping protuberance 30 of sleeve 20, and apertures 56 in cover 50 arealigned with apertures 64 in grommet 60. Again, if cable 18 is alreadyextending through aperture 16, slit 58 in cover 50 can be used toposition cover 50 around cable 18. Screws 57 are then inserted throughapertures 56, 64 in cover 50 and grommet 60 and screwed into top surface14. This secures sealing assembly 10 to top surface 14 and provides aground path from cable 18 to top surface 14. At this point, if cable 18has not been inserted, cable 18 is extended through aperture 16, grommet60, frame 40, cover 50, and sleeve 20. Top portion of sleeve 20 is thencinched around cable 18 by pulling drawstring 36 closed. Ininstallations where drawstring 36 does not provide sufficient sealing orwhere multiple cables, cable bundles, or multiple cable bundles extendthrough sealing assembly 10, top portion of sleeve 20 can be sealedaround each individual cable by engaging hook and loop fastener 37around each cable or cable bundle (see FIG. 15).

In installations where apertures 16 are already formed in top surface 14and cannot be adapted to fit grommets 60, 60′, sealing assembly 10 canbe installed as shown in FIGS. 11-13.

To install sealing assemblies 10 or 10′ in these types of installations,frame 40 is positioned on top surface 14 such that frame 40 surroundsaperture 16. Bottom edge 28 of sleeve 20 is inserted into channel 44 inframe 40 such that protuberance 30 is positioned within channel 44. Ifcable 18 is already extending through aperture 16, slit 46 in frame 40can be used to position frame 40 around cable 18. Similarly, first andsecond side edges 32, 34 of sleeve 20 can be separated by disengagingthe hook and loop type fasteners 38, 39, sleeve 20 placed around cable18, and fasteners 38, 39 re-engaged. Cover 50 is then placed over sleeve20 and frame 40 such that the inner wall of second wall 54 is positionedwith channel 44 of frame 40, thereby trapping protuberance 30 of sleeve20. Again, if cable 18 is already extending through aperture 16, slit 58in cover 50 can be used to position cover 50 around cable 18. Screws 57are then inserted through apertures 56 in cover 50 and screwed into topsurface 14. This secures sealing assembly 10 to top surface 14 andprovides a ground path from cable 18 to top surface 14. At this point,if cable 18 has not been inserted, cable 18 is extended through aperture16, frame 40, cover 50, and sleeve 20. Top portion of sleeve 20 is thencinched around cable 18 by pulling drawstring 36 closed. Ininstallations where drawstring 36 does not provide sufficient sealing orwhere multiple cables, cable bundles, or multiple cable bundles extendthrough sealing assembly 10, top portion of sleeve 20 can be sealedaround each individual cable by engaging hook and loop fastener 37around each cable or cable bundle (see FIG. 15).

Finally, if cable 18 is not immediately pulled through aperture 16 afterinitial installation, an optional safety cover may be provided to placeover sealing assembly 10 to prevent foot injuries until cable 18 ispulled through aperture 16 and sealing assembly 10.

1. A sealing assembly, comprising: a flexible sleeve configured toreceive a plurality of cables therethrough, the sleeve comprising afirst end and a second end; and a means for sealing the first end of thesleeve around each cable of the plurality of cables; wherein the secondend of the sleeve is securable to a surface; wherein the means forsealing the sleeve is a hook and loop type fastener attached to thefirst end of the sleeve.
 2. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein thehook and loop type fastener is positioned along a first edge of thesleeve.
 3. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the hook and looptype fastener extends across substantially the entire first end.
 4. Thesealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the sleeve is electricallyconductive.
 5. The sealing assembly of claim 4, wherein the sleeve isconstructed of a vinyl-coated fabric.
 6. The sealing assembly of claim1, wherein: the sleeve is formed from a sheet of material having a firstend edge, a second end edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge,and the hook and loop type fastener attached to the sleeve adjacent thefirst side edge; and a second hook and loop type fastener attached tothe sleeve adjacent the second side edge; wherein the hook and loop typefastener and the second hook and loop type fastener engage to positionthe sleeve around the plurality of cables.
 7. The sealing assembly ofclaim 1, further comprising: a frame configured to receive the secondend of the sleeve and to be positioned adjacent the surface; and a coverconfigured to fit over the second end of the sleeve and the frame, thecover comprising a plurality of apertures for connecting the cover tothe surface.
 8. The sealing assembly of claim 7, wherein the cover iselectrically conductive.
 9. The sealing assembly of claim 8, wherein thecover is constructed of a polycarbonate.
 10. The sealing assembly ofclaim 7, wherein the frame is electrically conductive.
 11. The sealingassembly of claim 10, wherein the frame is constructed of apolycarbonate.
 12. The sealing assembly of claim 7, wherein the frameand the cover each comprise a slit to allow the positioning of the frameand cover around the plurality of cables.
 13. The sealing assembly ofclaim 1 further comprising: a grommet positioned adjacent the second endof the sleeve, the grommet having a first wall and a second wall thatextends substantially perpendicular to the first wall; wherein the firstwall comprises a plurality of apertures for connecting the grommet tothe surface; and the second wall is configured to extend through anaperture in the surface and is flexible to protect the plurality ofcables from sharp edges associated with the aperture in the surface. 14.The sealing assembly of claim 13, wherein the grommet is electricallyconductive.
 15. The sealing assembly of claim 14, wherein the grommet isconstructed of a rubberized thermoplastic vulcanizate.
 16. The sealingassembly of claim 13, wherein the grommet comprises a slit to allow thepositioning of the grommet around the plurality of cables.
 17. Thesealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the means for sealing has alongitudinal extent oriented transversely to a longitudinal extent ofthe plurality of cables.